Amidst widespread layoffs, studio closures, and overall unpredictability in the industry, today started with a few studios and businesses taking back control of their own fate. The company that created Skylanders as well as the most current titles for Crash Bandicoot and Spyro, Toys for Bob, said today that it is splitting off to become a separate developer. Microsoft recently purchased the company, along with Activision’s other studios, which were previously nested under Activision’s jurisdiction. The firm is now developing ideas for both its upcoming debut game and a possible Microsoft cooperation.
In an attempt to go back to its origins, the studio revealed this information in a blog post today, announcing that Toys for Bob will be branching out into independent production.
Over the years, we’ve inspired love, joy, and laughter for the inner child in all gamers. We pioneered new IP and hardware technologies in Skylanders. We raised the bar for best-in-class remasters in Spyro Reignited Trilogy. We’ve taken Crash Bandicoot to innovative, critically acclaimed new heights.
With the same enthusiasm and passion, we believe that now is the time to take the studio and our future games to the next level. This opportunity allows us to return to our roots of being a small and nimble studio.
Opportunities and Challenges for Toys for Bob
Even though Toys for Bob would lose access to the IPs for which it has become famous Crash Bandicoot and Spyro in particular becoming independent would seem to offer those shows some chance. Not only is “a possible partnership between our new studio and Microsoft” being investigated, but Toys for Bob also states that Activision and Microsoft are “extremely supportive” of the company’s new approach. Though the first project Toys for Bob worked on as an independent company is still “in the early days,” it’s likely that this may result in the return of Crash, Spyro, or another IP that Toys for Bob has grown to be recognized and adored for.
Not everything is sunshine and rainbows. As part of larger layoffs earlier this year, Xbox closed its physical facility in Novato, California, and let go of 86 staff. Toys for Bob may have incurred significant expenses in its transition to independent production, which was likely part of a larger plan to preserve the studio in the long run.
From Creation to Acquisition and Beyond
Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford worked together to create Toys for Bob when it was originally established in 1989. The Star Control series and a few Disney-licensed games were developed by the firm under the direction of the two. In 2005, Activision bought Toys for Bob after a protracted collaboration with Crystal Dynamics. Activision then utilized the company to create the Skylanders franchise, the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. In 2020, Reiche and Ford departed the studio, leaving Paul Yan and Avery Lodato in leadership roles. From that point on, Toys for Bob has mostly served as a support studio for various Call of Duty titles.
